Lacrimosa Dominae
by YaoiSongstress07
Summary: Ganondorf reigns over all with iron fists, standing as the new world's overlord! Link's ensnared in a lethal hunt, Marth's trying to untangle a labyrinth, and Old Snake is set to bring in Ganon's new world! Will the light of love quell Ganon's fire?


Welcome, wee children, to the land of Lacrimosa Dominae! Before you fasten your seatbelts, heed these words. If you are intolerant of yaoi (boy/boy love), please DO NOT PROCEED. If you can't tolerate the thought of Snake being gay, PLEASE DO NOT PROCEED. If you cannot tolerate the thought of Snake exhibiting emotion, PLEASE DO NOT PROCEED.

**If you are intolerant of yaoi (boy/boy love), please DO NOT PROCEED. If you can't tolerate the thought of Snake being gay, PLEASE DO NOT PROCEED. If you cannot tolerate the thought of Snake exhibiting emotion, PLEASE DO NOT PROCEED.**

I have no tolerance for technical reviews, let alone hateful ones. Please do not rattle on about technical errors of any kind. Please provide me with criticism/feedback that will actually help. The nature of the feedback does NOT have to be GOOD. It can also be 'bad'. Just make sure you provide me with words that can HELP.

Disclaimer: Shirelings, I am not responsible for anything attributed to Nintendo, Konami, or any other studio. Press on!

* * *

Although his limbs had stopped moving, his heart was still pounding. Drops of molten lava burned the sides of his face, his forehead and his neck. The drops were normally harmless, and commonly referred to as 'sweatdrops', but in his case they were a mighty force. Millions of drops soaked him from head to toe, conveying his inner distress. Fate was no more than several yards in front of him, and he had no idea how to deal with it.

The Temple of Fate was an illusion, created from the Temple of Time. He was the only one with the ability to enter its doors, bearing the ability to enter a world like no other. He considered the Temple of Time to be his second home. It was once a place of rest, filled with the tenderness of ancient tales. Now it was a sanctuary for disorder, living in a world of anarchy. The heavens themselves teetered on the brink of destruction, standing on the edge of a cliff. The Mothers of Hyrule were unhappy, and everything his heart held precious was in grave danger.

_Seek the light. Find your heart's path, and follow it to completion._

Those words should have been easy enough to understand. Unfortunately, they weren't. They created a wildly complex web, and to make matters worse, he couldn't identify the speaker. He couldn't even tell if the speaker was human. He knew his companion was a maiden, but that was it. There wasn't a name, a place of origin, or even a purpose. She was shrouded in mystery, and so was the blade before him. She had informed him of the blade several times, delivering her pleas in cryptic messages. With great labor, he eventually untangled all of the first webs-but couldn't figure out the latest one. Giving Epona a root canal would have been easier.

_Seek out the light. Let fate lead your towards your goal, and then all will become clear._

He lifted his hands off his knees, raising the upper half of his body. Midna was easier to figure out, and she had been a handful! Being the Hero of Time obviously had him saddled with a lifetime of riddles! What a job he had been pulled into!

Anxiety shot off through his blue eyes. At first, the love of his life was the path to his heart. As soon as the love of his life was swept away, he knew he had to create a path to rescue him-and that's where his maiden friend came in. She threw labyrinths to him as if they were hot dogs flying off a grill, leading him to one option, and then another. He thought the Master Sword had been the link to his path, but that assumption was made in error. It opened up the path to another possibility, which was the Temple of Fate. He consulted the Sages of Hyrule, only to find out all of them had been drafted into Ganondorf's custody. The King of Evil, who managed to overthrow the Demon King of Hell, manipulated the souls of the Sages, and all to his advantage. At the moment, they were conducting the Rebirth Ritual-which featured the sacrifice of a thousand souls.

He grimaced. They had actually taken lives, just to serve their new master. Saria had been the only one to object, and she was promptly taken care of. Her punishment was so difficult to reconstruct, his mind blocked it out on instinct. The word 'cleansing' was as far as he could get.

_Liberate the darkness. Then, and only then, will you be able to liberate your light_.

She was gone, locked away in shackles. He was gone, locked away in the King's arms. Others were pursuing the angel of his heart, his maiden was pressing him towards the blade-

And Hell had taken the form of a raging storm.

He took a deep breath. His body, taking on a life of its own, edged closer to the Temple's blade.

_Find yourself. Unleash your soul, Link_.

Fear was abandoned. Anxiety was tossed aside. His hands gripped the sword's handle, accompanied by eyes that were devoid of life. Blue eyes became dark, solid blue pools, filled only with the wish to unleash havoc. A heart ceased its rhythm as he tightened his grip about the sword. Ribbons of crimson light emerged from the blade, beckoning him to the door of fate.

Pain erupted, stronger than it had ever been before. It stole his oxygen, crushed his lungs and poisoned his blood. Bright crimson light broke out within the Temple, drawing him into oblivion. He knew only the face of his beloved, crushed by the world he had been forced to suffer in. The ribbons of light became stronger, brighter-

And tears fell.

* * *

Battalions collided. Pokemon of all sizes and shapes lashed out at opposing forces, utilizing every bit of their power. Charizards and Squirtles alike, led by their respective trainers, unleashed their potent attacks. Fire broke out against the crimson ether with light, water struck the skies with lightning...and souls fused together, fighting as one. Trainers and Pokemon alike were on their feet, combining battle prowess and spirit. Those that had never met before were the closest of allies, determined to fight against evil as one heart.

Hiryu Shibata was at the forefront, guiding his Pokemon army through the fray. Blastoise, Hitmonlee and Dragonite were acting as one, despite their differences in battle type. Charizard was partnered with another trainer's Spearow, who had learned a flame attack-which was normally unheard of for a Pokemon of that type. His Pikachu was leading the Pikachu and Raichu Brigade, conducting his army's attacks with the fervor of a musician. Lucario was somewhere in the distance, certainly lending his aid to others...

_"Hiryu?! Hiryu! Hiryu, get up! Hiryu!"_

He felt himself falling. Although his body eventually struck the ground, his mind was lodged between two places. On one end he was falling, descending from the sky in slow motion. On the other end, he was completely frozen. In both cases, pain was an epidemic. Time was certainly no friend as life ebbed out of him. Flames ascended, rushing through every inch of his young frame. His feet made an attempt to rise, but to no avail. Those limbs were no better than gelatin stubs.

Pain struck the insides of his chest. A cloud of dizziness swept over his eyes, blurring the crimson world around him. How idiotic! He couldn't give in! There was no way he could surrender! He couldn't allow himself to flounder like a fish out of water! There was no way his heart could give in! Not yet! He couldn't let this sickness defeat him!

He couldn't die. Snake needed him. There was no way he could-

**_"Hiryu! Hiryu, NO!"

* * *

_**

"This is absurd! If we could place these final pieces together, we'd unlock this filthy gateway!"

King Marth Mischka Altea Lowell was in no mood for games. He had no tolerance for any kind of labyrinth, whether it was in words or in the form of a harmless joke. He never enjoyed cracking mazes as a child (which endangered a lot of frantic babysitters), and never lost his penchant for frustration. Anger boiled deep within, raging with the ferocity of a million lions.

Cloud Strife, on the other hand, was the personification of patience. However, he was also the personification of fear. Blue jewels were alive with apprehension, glimmering in darkness that seemed immortal. "Calm yourself," he said gently, arms extended in a comforting manner. His companion had been on edge for quite a while, so he wasn't exactly a barrel of fun. In other words, the short-tempered Marth was not the one to rely on if a puzzle was at hand. Especially if the world was falling apart.

"We can't get anything done if you're running around headless! Calm down!"

Poor choice of words. The blue-haired beauty whirled around on him, eyes throwing darts. "How dare you?! Serenity cannot be found in a time like this! The one I love is in danger, all words are in peril, and you're telling me to be calm?! You're a bloody moron!"

"Hey! I know exactly what you're going through, because I'm in this too! In case you've forgotten, you aren't the only one that loves him!"

Lightning temporarily silenced Marth's fury. He stiffened with a gasp, eyes taking on the soul of an offended emperor. Before he could retaliate against the Strife's love, the breathing of a dehydrated soul seized his attention. Two pairs of eyes darted over to a corner, widened in apprehension. The warriors exchanged a weighty glance, hearts suspended in air.

The figure of the shadows came closer, struggling to stay on his feet. On instinct, Marth placed himself in front of the horrified Strife. A gasp rose out of both throats as the figure entered the light, instantly recognized by both warriors. Both cried out at once, unable to believe the identity of the bloodied, broken soul.

"Snake?!"

Cloud rushed forth, pushing his way out of the Altean's protection. The blonde swept the third figure into his arms, eyes making a quick sweep over the other male's body. His heart leapt out of his chest in a flash, once he realized something. "Your Majesty," the Strife said, his voice soft but quaky. "this isn't Snake. It isn't our Snake, anyway."

"Then who is it, you blithering idiot?!"

"I don't know," Cloud replied instantly, fear rising. "but this isn't the Snake we know. Take a closer look at his face."

The urge to argue was a raging flame-until Marth got a closer look at the half-conscious man's face.

"By the Gods, how is this possible?!"

* * *

Torn, broken and bloodied, he rose into the heavens on a stake. Flames raged beneath him, chanting the melody of eternal sleep. His naked form glistened beneath the crimson field, torn and tattered by the hands of poison. Wounds glistened in the light, all of them far too deep for any mortal to withstand. Wounds scorched his insides, pulsating with pain no one should have endured. Slitted eyes witnessed the triumphant dance of an overlord, soaked in ceaseless anguish. Tears fell, but the drops of innocence were ignored. His master, his keeper, was lost in a land of venom-and knew nothing of kindness. He claimed to practice 'love' during his 'playtime', but was actually the personification of death. His version of 'love' was a curse, a plague that shouldn't have been known to history.

And his words were accepted. His version of love was accepted. His 'love' was accepted...

By someone that knew nothing of light.

"Soon, my precious messiah! Soon your pain will end! Your suffering will end, and the two of us will rule our new world! Soon we will reign over all, and I will become a GOD!"

In his eyes, Ganondorf embodied love. In his eyes, there wasn't another source of light. In his eyes, Ganondorf truly loved him. And yes, his suffering would soon. Everything would end, and he'd fall away from the only love he had ever known.

He was only worthy of Ganondorf's love, and unworthy of the light he should have received.

He was an old, wrinkled man without a name, and soon he would be the final sacrifice.

* * *

I know I haven't written anything in a long time, but after reading snippets of Dan Brown's 'The Lost Symbol', I JUST HAD TO SPIN THIS. That book knows exactly what its doing. Mr. Brown knew what he was doing when he wrote that book. It seriously makes 'The Da Vinci Code' look like a failure. The puzzle/sacrifice elements were inspired by that incredible book.

This little ditty was composed to Lacrimosa Dominae, the foundation for the song 'Preliator'. Lacrimosa, by far, is the better song (which I guess is obvious, considering its the original).

Hiryu was the Pokemon Trainer's name. A fellow Trainer cried out to him as he fell.

Marth and Cloud's scenes were inspired by my trip to the bookstore. Inside of a game magazine, I learned of the upcoming Metal Gear Solid adventures. One game features a multi-player mode, where multiple Snakes can fight against evil. XD The game features Naked Snake, kiddies, but as for this story? The possibilities are in your hands. Was the other Snake just a clone, Naked Snake or Liquid Snake?! Bwah ha ha.

Link's scenes were inspired by the upcoming Zelda adventure. Details on the newest Wii adventure are cryptic at this point, save for the bond between Link and the equally cryptic maiden. The upcoming adventure promises to be epic, as it places heavy focus on a much wiser Link-and the Master Sword. I just thought it would be fascinating to have another sword enter this picture. XD Does it take place after Twilight Princess? I don't know. I don't even know if there's a connection, bwee hee! XD Check out the poster for it when you have time. It's pretty awesome!

Thank you for reading!


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